Browse publications by year: 2017

  1. Ooi CH, Bujang MA, Tg Abu Bakar Sidik TMI, Ngui R, Lim YA
    Acta Trop, 2017 Dec;176:83-90.
    PMID: 28768148 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.07.027
    Malaria is still of great public health concern, especially in Malaysian Borneo. The aim of this study was to determine the trends of P. knowlesi infection in Sarawak, Malaysia and to forecast the incidence of P. knowlesi until the year 2040. Data on P. knowlesi malaria cases from 1992 to the year 2014 were obtained from the Sarawak Health Department, Malaysia. ARIMA model was applied to forecast the future incidence of P. knowlesi infection. The data for the whole of Sarawak and subsequently the selected six districts which have high incidence rates of P. knowlesi infection were analyzed. Results of the analysis showed that there was an increasing trend of P. knowlesi cases from the year 1992-2014 (p<0.001). The trend in the incidence started to increase in the year 2008 (p=0.029). The incidence rate per 100,000 populations was between 4.15 in the year 1992 and 42.03 in the year 2014. High incidence of P. knowlesi infections has been detected in the districts adjacent to each other within the interior region of Sarawak. The forecasted incidence and incidence rate per 100,000 populations in the year 2020 were 1229 and 44.04, respectively, while those in the year 2040 were 2056 and 62.91, respectively. The forecasted incidence showed an upward trend highlighting an urgent need to draw up strategic and holistic prevention plans to limit further the increase in P. knowlesi morbidity and mortality in Sarawak. It is imperative that these measures are customized taking into consideration the challenges faced in the interior areas of Sarawak and the behavior of the main vector of P. knowlesi (i.e., An. latens) in Sarawak.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Borneo/epidemiology; Disease Vectors; Female; Humans; Malaria/epidemiology*; Malaysia/epidemiology; Public Health; Incidence; Plasmodium knowlesi*
  2. Pepdjonovic L, Tan GH, Huang S, Mann S, Frydenberg M, Moon D, et al.
    World J Urol, 2017 Aug;35(8):1199-1203.
    PMID: 27987032 DOI: 10.1007/s00345-016-1985-1
    PURPOSE: To determine the rate of hospital admissions for infection after transperineal biopsy of prostate (TPB) with single-dose cephazolin prophylaxis using a prospective database.

    METHOD: Between April 2013 and February 2016, 577 patients undergoing TPB had 2 g of cephazolin given intravenously at induction of anaesthesia. Data collected from these patients included age, PSA, prostate volume, number of cores taken and post-operative complications.

    RESULTS: No patients were readmitted to hospital with infection post-TPB. Seven patients developed acute urinary retention, and one patient developed clinical prostatitis that was treated with oral antibiotics in the community.

    CONCLUSION: It is safe to use single-dose cephazolin only as antibiotic prophylaxis prior to TPB, negating the need for quinolones. This study supports Australia's current Therapeutic Guidelines recommendation for TPB prophylaxis and the existing evidence that sepsis post-TPB is a rare complication. Whether any antibiotic prophylaxis is needed at all for TPB is the subject of a future study.

  3. Dai X, Mak YL, Lu CK, Mei HH, Wu JJ, Lee WH, et al.
    Harmful Algae, 2017 07;67:107-118.
    PMID: 28755713 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2017.07.002
    Recent molecular phylogenetic studies of Gambierdiscus species flagged several new species and genotypes, thus leading to revitalizing its systematics. The inter-relationships of clades revealed by the primary sequence information of nuclear ribosomal genes (rDNA), however, can sometimes be equivocal, and therefore, in this study, the taxonomic status of a ribotype, Gambierdiscus sp. type 6, was evaluated using specimens collected from the original locality, Marakei Island, Republic of Kiribati; and specimens found in Rawa Island, Peninsular Malaysia, were further used for comparison. Morphologically, the ribotype cells resembled G. scabrosus, G. belizeanus, G. balechii, G. cheloniae and G. lapillus in thecal ornamentation, where the thecal surfaces are reticulate-foveated, but differed from G. scabrosus by its hatchet-shaped Plate 2', and G. belizeanus by the asymmetrical Plate 3'. To identify the phylogenetic relationship of this ribotype, a large dataset of the large subunit (LSU) and small subunit (SSU) rDNAs were compiled, and performed comprehensive analyses, using Bayesian-inference, maximum-parsimony, and maximum-likelihood, for the latter two incorporating the sequence-structure information of the SSU rDNA. Both the LSU and SSU rDNA phylogenetic trees displayed an identical topology and supported the hypothesis that the relationship between Gambierdiscus sp. type 6 and G. balechii was monophyletic. As a result, the taxonomic status of Gambierdiscus sp. type 6 was revised, and assigned as Gambierdiscus balechii. Toxicity analysis using neuroblastoma N2A assay confirmed that the Central Pacific strains were toxic, ranging from 1.1 to 19.9 fg P-CTX-1 eq cell-1, but no toxicity was detected in a Western Pacific strain. This suggested that the species might be one of the species contributing to the high incidence rate of ciguatera fish poisoning in Marakei Island.
    MeSH terms: Base Sequence; Ciguatoxins/toxicity*; Dinoflagellida/classification*; Dinoflagellida/cytology; Dinoflagellida/ultrastructure; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Phylogeny*; Likelihood Functions; Cell Size; Phylogeography*
  4. Li Y, Huang CX, Xu GS, Lundholm N, Teng ST, Wu H, et al.
    Harmful Algae, 2017 07;67:119-130.
    PMID: 28755714 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2017.06.008
    The genus Pseudo-nitzschia has attracted attention because of production of the toxin, domoic acid (DA), causing Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP). Pseudo-nitzschia blooms occur frequently in Chinese coastal waters, and DA has been detected in several marine organisms, but so far no Pseudo-nitzschia strains from Chinese waters have been shown to produce DA. In this study, monoclonal Pseudo-nitzschia strains were established from Chinese coastal waters and examined using light microscopy, electron microscopy and molecular markers. Five strains, sharing distinct morphological and molecular features differentiating them from other Pseudo-nitzschia species, represent a new species, Pseudo-nitzschia simulans sp. nov. Morphologically, the taxon belongs to the P. pseudodelicatissima group, cells possessing a central nodule and each stria comprising one row of poroids. The new species is characterized by the poroid structure, which typically comprises two sectors, each sector located near opposite margins of the poroid. The production of DA was examined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses of cells in stationary growth phase. Domoic acid was detected in one of the five strains, with concentrations around 1.05-1.54 fg cell-1. This is the first toxigenic diatom species reported from Chinese waters.
    MeSH terms: China; Geography; Kainic Acid/analogs & derivatives*; Kainic Acid/metabolism; Kainic Acid/toxicity; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Phylogeny; RNA, Messenger/genetics; RNA, Messenger/metabolism; Seawater*; Diatoms/metabolism*; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry; Ribosome Subunits, Large/metabolism
  5. Matinmanesh A, Li Y, Clarkin O, Zalzal P, Schemitsch EH, Towler MR, et al.
    J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2017 11;75:212-221.
    PMID: 28756281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2017.07.030
    Bioactive glasses have been used as coatings for biomedical implants because they can be formulated to promote osseointegration, antibacterial behavior, bone formation, and tissue healing through the incorporation and subsequent release of certain ions. However, shear loading on coated implants has been reported to cause the delamination and loosening of such coatings. This work uses a recently developed fracture mechanics testing methodology to quantify the critical strain energy release rate under nearly pure mode II conditions, GIIC, of a series of borate-based glass coating/Ti6Al4V alloy substrate systems. Incorporating increasing amounts of SrCO3in the glass composition was found to increase the GIICalmost twofold, from 25.3 to 46.9J/m2. The magnitude and distribution of residual stresses in the coating were quantified, and it was found that the residual stresses in all cases distributed uniformly over the cross section of the coating. The crack was driven towards, but not into, the glass/Ti6Al4V substrate interface due to the shear loading. This implied that the interface had a higher fracture toughness than the coating itself.
    MeSH terms: Borates/analysis*; Glass/analysis*; Materials Testing*; Titanium/analysis*; Coated Materials, Biocompatible/analysis*
  6. Nna VU, Ujah GA, Mohamed M, Etim KB, Igba BO, Augustine ER, et al.
    Biomed Pharmacother, 2017 Oct;94:109-123.
    PMID: 28756368 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.07.087
    This study assessed the effect of quercetin (QE) on cadmium chloride (CdCl2) - induced testicular toxicity, as well as the effect of withdrawal of CdCl2 treatment on same. Thirty male Wistar rats aged 10 weeks old and weighing 270-300g were assigned into 5 groups and used for this study. Rats in groups 1-4 were administered vehicle, CdCl2 (5mg/kg bwt), CdCl2+QE (5mg/kg bwt and 20mg/kg bwt, respectively) or QE (20mg/kg bwt) orally for 4 weeks. Group 5 rats received CdCl2, with 4 weeks recovery period. Results showed that cadmium accumulated in serum, testis and epididymis, decreased body weight, testicular and epididymal weights, sperm count, motility and viability. Cadmium decreased serum concentrations of reproductive hormones, but increased testicular glucose, lactate and lactate dehydrogenase activity. Cadmium decreased testicular enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) and non-enzymatic (glutathione, vitamins C and E) antioxidants, and increased malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide. Cadmium down-regulated Bcl-2 protein, up-regulated Bax protein, increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and cleaved caspase-3 activity. Histopathology of the testis showed decreased Johnsen's score and Leydig cell count. These negative effects were attenuated by QE administration, while withdrawal of CdCl2 did not appreciably reverse toxicity. We conclude that QE better protected the testis from CdCl2 toxicity than withdrawal of CdCl2 administration.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antioxidants/metabolism; Body Weight/drug effects; Cadmium/blood; Epididymis/drug effects; Epididymis/metabolism; Glucose/metabolism; Hormones/blood; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism; Male; Malondialdehyde/metabolism; Quercetin/pharmacology*; Semen/metabolism; Testis/drug effects; Testis/pathology*; Rats, Wistar; Apoptosis/drug effects; Oxidative Stress/drug effects; Cadmium Chloride/toxicity*; Lactic Acid/metabolism
  7. Kanniappan P, Ahmed SA, Rajasekaram G, Marimuthu C, Ch'ng ES, Lee LP, et al.
    J Cell Mol Med, 2017 10;21(10):2276-2283.
    PMID: 28756649 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.13148
    Technological advances in RNA biology greatly improved transcriptome profiling during the last two decades. Besides the discovery of many small RNAs (sRNA) that are involved in the physiological and pathophysiological regulation of various cellular circuits, it becomes evident that the corresponding RNA genes might also serve as potential biomarkers to monitor the progression of disease and treatment. sRNA gene candidate npcTB_6715 was previously identified via experimental RNomic (unpublished data), and we report its application as potential biomarker for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in patient samples. For proof of principle, we developed a multiplex PCR assay and report its validation with 500 clinical cultures, positive for Mycobacteria. The analysis revealed 98.9% sensitivity, 96.1% specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 98.6% and 96.8%, respectively. These results underscore the diagnostic value of the sRNA gene as diagnostic marker for the specific detection of MTB in clinical samples. Its successful application and the general ease of PCR-based detection compared to standard bacterial culture techniques might be the first step towards 'point-of-care' diagnostics of Mycobacteria. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time for the design of diagnostic applications based on sRNA genes, in Mycobacteria.
    MeSH terms: Humans; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics*; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/physiology; RNA/genetics*; RNA, Bacterial/genetics*; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tuberculosis/diagnosis; Tuberculosis/microbiology; Reproducibility of Results; Biomarkers/metabolism*; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods; DNA, Complementary/genetics; DNA, Complementary/chemistry; Gene Expression Profiling/methods; Genomics/methods; RNA, Small Untranslated/genetics*; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
  8. Khan A, Mushtaq MH, Ahmad MUD, Nazir J, Farooqi SH, Khan A
    Virus Res, 2017 08 15;240:56-63.
    PMID: 28757141 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.07.022
    BACKGROUND: A widespread epidemic of equine influenza (EI) occurred in nonvaccinated equine population across multiple districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan during 2015-2016.

    OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: An epidemiological surveillance study was conducted from Oct 2015 to April 2016 to investigate the outbreak. EI virus strains were isolated in embryonated eggs from suspected equines swab samples and were subjected to genome sequencing using M13 tagged segment specific primers. Phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide sequences were concluded using Geneious. Haemagglutinin (HA), Neuraminidase (NA), Matrix (M) and nucleoprotein (NP) genes nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the isolated viruses were aligned with those of OIE recommended, FC-1, FC-2, and contemporary isolates of influenza A viruses from other species.

    RESULTS: HA and NA genes amino acid sequences were very similar to Tennessee/14 and Malaysia/15 of FC-1 and clustered with the contemporary isolates recently reported in the USA. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these viruses were mostly identical (with 99.6% and 97.4% nucleotide homology) to, and were reassortants containing chicken/Pakistan/14 (H7N3) and Canine/Beijing/10 (H3N2) like M and NP genes. Genetic analysis indicated that A/equine/Pakistan/16 viruses were most probably the result of several re-assortments between the co-circulating avian and equine viruses, and were genetically unlike the other equine viruses due to the presence of H7N3 or H3N2 like M and NP genes.

    CONCLUSION: Epidemiological data analysis indicated the potential chance of mixed, and management such as mixed farming system by keeping equine, canine and backyard poultry together in confined premises as the greater risk factors responsible for the re-assortments. Other factors might have contributed to the spread of the epidemic, including low awareness level, poor control of equine movements, and absence of border control disease strategies.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Horse Diseases/epidemiology; Horse Diseases/virology*; Horses; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/epidemiology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/veterinary*; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology; Influenza A virus/classification; Influenza A virus/genetics*; Influenza A virus/isolation & purification*; Pakistan; Phylogeny; Recombination, Genetic*; Reassortant Viruses/classification; Reassortant Viruses/genetics; Reassortant Viruses/isolation & purification; Molecular Epidemiology
  9. Sulaiman WAW, Mat LNI, Hoo FK, Mohamed MH, Lim SMS
    J Infect Public Health, 2017 07 27;11(2):299.
    PMID: 28757292 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2017.07.015
    MeSH terms: Humans; RNA, Viral/isolation & purification; Semen/virology*; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/transmission*; Time Factors; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Disease Transmission, Infectious*; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/transmission*; Ebolavirus/isolation & purification*
  10. Grigg MJ, Cox J, William T, Jelip J, Fornace KM, Brock PM, et al.
    Lancet Planet Health, 2017 Jun 09;1(3):e97-e104.
    PMID: 28758162 DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(17)30031-1
    BACKGROUND: The emergence of human malaria due to the monkey parasite Plasmodium knowlesi threatens elimination efforts in southeast Asia. Changes in land use are thought to be driving the rise in reported P knowlesi cases, but the role of individual-level factors is unclear. To address this knowledge gap we assessed human and environmental factors associated with zoonotic knowlesi malaria risk.

    METHODS: We did this population-based case-control study over a 2 year period in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. We enrolled cases with microscopy-positive, PCR-confirmed malaria who presented to two primary referral hospitals serving the adjacent districts of Kudat and Kota Marudu. We randomly selected three malaria-negative community controls per case, who were matched by village within 2 weeks of case detection. We obtained questionnaire data on demographics, behaviour, and residential malaria risk factors, and we also assessed glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme activity. We used conditional logistic regression models to evaluate exposure risk between P knowlesi cases and controls, and between P knowlesi and human-only Plasmodium spp malaria cases.

    FINDINGS: From Dec 5, 2012, to Jan 30, 2015, we screened 414 patients and subsequently enrolled 229 cases with P knowlesi malaria mono-infection and 91 cases with other Plasmodium spp infection. We enrolled 953 matched controls, including 683 matched to P knowlesi cases and 270 matched to non-P knowlesi cases. Age 15 years or older (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4·16, 95% CI 2·09-8·29, p<0·0001), male gender (4·20, 2·54-6·97, p<0·0001), plantation work (3·50, CI, 1·34-9·15, p=0·011), sleeping outside (3·61, 1·48-8·85, p=0·0049), travel (2·48, 1·45-4·23, p=0·0010), being aware of the presence of monkeys in the past 4 weeks (3·35, 1·91-5·88, p<0·0001), and having open eaves or gaps in walls (2·18, 1·33-3·59, p=0·0021) were independently associated with increased risk of symptomatic P knowlesi infection. Farming occupation (aOR 1·89, 95% CI 1·07-3·35, p=0·028), clearing vegetation (1·89, 1·11-3·22, p=0·020), and having long grass around the house (2·08, 1·25-3·46, p=0·0048) increased risk for P knowlesi infection but not other Plasmodium spp infection. G6PD deficiency seemed to be protective against P knowlesi (aOR 0·20, 95% CI 0·04-0·96, p=0·045), as did residual insecticide spraying of household walls (0·52, 0·31-0·87, p=0·014), with the presence of young sparse forest (0·35, 0·20-0·63, p=00040) and rice paddy around the house (0·16, 0·03-0·78, 0·023) also associated with decreased risk.

    INTERPRETATION: Adult men working in agricultural areas were at highest risk of knowlesi malaria, although peri-domestic transmission also occurrs. Human behavioural factors associated with P knowlesi transmission could be targeted in future public health interventions.

    FUNDING: United Kingdom Medical Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, and Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council.

  11. Chong KH, Lee ST, Ng SA, Khouw I, Poh BK
    Nutrients, 2017 Jul 31;9(8).
    PMID: 28758956 DOI: 10.3390/nu9080723
    This study aimed to assess fruit and vegetable intake patterns and their associations with sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric status and nutrient intake profiles among Malaysian children aged 1-6 years. Using the Malaysian dataset of South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS Malaysia), a total of 1307 children aged 1-6 years with complete datasets were included in this analysis. Dietary intake was assessed using age-specific, validated food frequency questionnaires. On average, Malaysian children consumed 0.91 and 1.07 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, respectively. Less than one-fifth of the children achieved the daily recommended servings of fruits (11.7%) and vegetables (15.8%). Fruit intake was associated with age, parental educational level and geographical region, and vegetable intake was associated with ethnicity and geographical region. There was little evidence of an association between fruit and vegetable intake and children's anthropometric status, but an adequate intake of fruits and vegetables contributed significantly and differently to children's micronutrient intake. Future nutrition interventions should focus on addressing the sociodemographic determinants and be tailored to the needs of the low consumers to more effectively promote and encourage the adequate intake of fruit and vegetables among young children.
    MeSH terms: Child; Child, Preschool; Diet/standards*; Diet Surveys; Feeding Behavior*; Female; Fruit*; Humans; Infant; Malaysia; Male; Nutritional Status*; Socioeconomic Factors; Vegetables*
  12. Li Y, Ren S, Yan B, Zainal Abidin IM, Wang Y
    Sensors (Basel), 2017 Jul 31;17(8).
    PMID: 28758985 DOI: 10.3390/s17081747
    A corrosive environment leaves in-service conductive structures prone to subsurface corrosion which poses a severe threat to the structural integrity. It is indispensable to detect and quantitatively evaluate subsurface corrosion via non-destructive evaluation techniques. Although the gradient-field pulsed eddy current technique (GPEC) has been found to be superior in the evaluation of corrosion in conductors, it suffers from a technical drawback resulting from the non-uniform field excited by the conventional pancake coil. In light of this, a new GPEC probe with uniform field excitation for the imaging of subsurface corrosion is proposed in this paper. The excited uniform field makes the GPEC signal correspond only to the field perturbation due to the presence of subsurface corrosion, which benefits the corrosion profiling and sizing. A 3D analytical model of GPEC is established to analyze the characteristics of the uniform field induced within a conductor. Following this, experiments regarding the imaging of subsurface corrosion via GPEC have been carried out. It has been found from the results that the proposed GPEC probe with uniform field excitation not only applies to the imaging of subsurface corrosion in conductive structures, but provides high-sensitivity imaging results regarding the corrosion profile and opening size.
    MeSH terms: Corrosion; Electric Conductivity; Food; Plant Leaves; Physical Phenomena
  13. Ng PK, Lin SM, Lim PE, Hurtado AQ, Phang SM, Yow YY, et al.
    PLoS One, 2017;12(7):e0182176.
    PMID: 28759629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182176
    Many studies classifying Gracilaria species for the exploitation of agarophytes and the development of the agar industry were conducted before the prevalence of molecular tools, resulting in the description of many species based solely on their morphology. Gracilaria firma and G. changii are among the commercially important agarophytes from the western Pacific; both feature branches with basal constrictions that taper toward acute apices. In this study, we contrasted the morpho-anatomical circumscriptions of the two traditionally described species with molecular data from samples that included representatives of G. changii collected from its type locality. Concerted molecular analyses using the rbcL and cox1 gene sequences, coupled with morphological observations of the collections from the western Pacific, revealed no inherent differences to support the treatment of the two entities as distinct taxa. We propose merging G. changii (a later synonym) into G. firma and recognize G. firma based on thallus branches with abrupt basal constrictions that gradually taper toward acute (or sometimes broken) apices, cystocarps consisting of small gonimoblast cells and inconspicuous multinucleate tubular nutritive cells issuing from gonimoblasts extending into the inner pericarp at the cystocarp floor, as well as deep spermatangial conceptacles of the verrucosa-type. The validation of specimens under different names as a single genetic species is useful to allow communication and knowledge transfer among groups from different fields. This study also revealed considerably low number of haplotypes and nucleotide diversity with apparent phylogeographic patterns for G. firma in the region. Populations from the Philippines and Taiwan were divergent from each other as well as from the populations from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Establishment of baseline data on the genetic diversity of this commercially important agarophyte is relevant in the context of cultivation, as limited genetic diversity may jeopardize the potential for its genetic improvement over time.
    MeSH terms: Base Composition; Haplotypes; Genetic Variation; Gracilaria/classification; Gracilaria/cytology; Gracilaria/genetics*; Phylogeography
  14. Noradilah SA, Moktar N, Anuar TS, Lee IL, Salleh FM, Manap SNAA, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2017 Jul 31;10(1):360.
    PMID: 28760145 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2294-2
    BACKGROUND: Alternating wet and dry seasons may play an important role in the acquisition and distribution of Blastocystis subtype infection in the tropics. This cross-sectional study was therefore conducted to provide the prevalence of Blastocystis and to determine the potential risk factors associated with each subtype during the wet and dry seasons in the Aboriginal community, Pahang, Malaysia.

    METHODS: A total of 473 faecal samples were collected: 256 (54.1%) and 217 (45.9%) samples were obtained during the wet (October-November 2014) and the dry season (June 2015), respectively. All fresh faecal samples were subjected to molecular analysis for subtype and allele identification.

    RESULTS: Of the 473 samples, 42.6% and 37.8% were positive for Blastocystis ST1, ST2, ST3 and ST4 during wet and dry seasons, respectively. Prevalence of Blastocystis ST1 was significantly higher during the wet season compared to the dry season (Z = 2.146, P 

    MeSH terms: Animals; Climate; Cross-Sectional Studies; Feces/parasitology; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Risk Factors; Seasons*; Genetic Variation; Prevalence; DNA, Protozoan/genetics; Blastocystis Infections/ethnology*; Blastocystis Infections/parasitology; Blastocystis Infections/transmission; Blastocystis/genetics*; Disease Management; Population Groups*
  15. Wei LK, Au A, Menon S, Griffiths LR, Kooi CW, Irene L, et al.
    J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis, 2017 Nov;26(11):2482-2493.
    PMID: 28760411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2017.05.048
    INTRODUCTION: The association between ischemic stroke and genetic polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR; 677C>T and 1298A>C), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS; -786T>C, +894G>T, and variable number tandem repeat [VNTR]), phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D; SNPs 83 and 87), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) I/D, angiotensinogen (AGT) 235M>T, paraoxonase 1 (PON1) 192Q>R, and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε2ε3ε4 remains inconclusive. Therefore, this updated meta-analysis aimed to clarify the presumed influence of genetic polymorphisms on ischemic stroke by meta-analyzing the comprehensive coverage of all individual association studies.

    METHODS: All case-control studies published in different languages such as English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Hungarian, Ukrainian, or Russian were identified from databases. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated via fixed- and random-effect models. Sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity test, Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium, and Egger's regression analyses were performed in this study.

    RESULTS: A total of 490 case-control studies with 138,592 cases and 159,314 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled ORs from all the genetic models indicated that MTHFR 677TT and 1298CC, eNOS +894TT and VNTR, PDE4D SNP 83, ACE DD, AGT 235TT, PON1 192RR, and ApoE ε4 polymorphisms were increasing the risks of ischemic stroke. Nevertheless, PDE4D SNP 87 and eNOS -786T>C polymorphisms are not associated with ischemic stroke risks.

    CONCLUSIONS: Hence, the evidence from this meta-analysis concluded that MTHFR (677C>T and 1298A>C), eNOS (+894G>T and VNTR), PDE4D SNP 83, ACE I/D, AGT 235M>T, PON1 192Q>R, and ApoE ε2ε3ε4 polymorphisms predispose individuals to ischemic stroke.

    MeSH terms: Angiotensinogen; Brain Ischemia; Humans; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; Language; Confidence Intervals; Odds Ratio; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); Aryldialkylphosphatase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; Apolipoprotein E4; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4
  16. Mehde AA, Mehdi WA, Yusof F, Raus RA, Abidin ZAZ, Ghazali H, et al.
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2017 Dec;105(Pt 1):1324-1327.
    PMID: 28760704 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.07.167
    BACKGROUND: The intron 5 insertion/deletion polymorphism of Alpha-2-macroglobulin receptor-associated protein gene (Alpha-2-MRAP) has been implicated in numerous diseases. The current study was designed to analyze the association of intron 5 insertion/deletion polymorphism of Alpha-2-MRAP with nephrolithiasis patients.

    METHODS: PCR was conducted on genomic DNA of patients and control to look for Alpha-2-MRAP insertion/deletion polymorphism. Besides that, serum level of Alpha-2-MRAP, oxidative stress marker myeloperoxidase, Malondialdehyde (MDA), Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and uric acid were determined.

    RESULTS: The D and I allele frequencies were 57.50% and 42.50% in patients, 77.50% and 22.50% in control, individually. The result showed that II genotype was associated with nephrolithiasis patients group. A significant decrease was observed in serum Alpha-2-MRAP,myeloperoxidase and TAS,while TOS,OSI,MDA,AOPP and uric acid were substantially increased in II and ID when compared to DD genotype in patients with nephrolithiasis.

    CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate for the first time that patients with II genotype had an increased risk of stones. Also, the results demonstrate that I allele of the 5 insertion/deletion polymorphism in the Alpha-2-MRAP gene is related with an increase of oxidative stress in nephrolithiasis patients and may possibly impose a risk for cardiovascular diseases in patients with II genotype of Alpha-2-MRAP.

    MeSH terms: Female; Gene Frequency; Genotype; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymorphism, Genetic*; Oxidative Stress/genetics; LDL-Receptor Related Protein-Associated Protein/genetics*; Nephrolithiasis/genetics*; Nephrolithiasis/metabolism; INDEL Mutation
  17. Ong CS, Al-Anzi B, Lau WJ, Goh PS, Lai GS, Ismail AF, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2017 07 31;7(1):6904.
    PMID: 28761159 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07369-4
    Despite its attractive features for energy saving separation, the performance of forward osmosis (FO) has been restricted by internal concentration polarization and fast fouling propensity that occur in the membrane sublayer. These problems have significantly affected the membrane performance when treating highly contaminated oily wastewater. In this study, a novel double-skinned FO membrane with excellent anti-fouling properties has been developed for emulsified oil-water treatment. The double-skinned FO membrane comprises a fully porous sublayer sandwiched between a highly dense polyamide (PA) layer for salt rejection and a fairly loose dense bottom zwitterionic layer for emulsified oil particle removal. The top dense PA layer was synthesized via interfacial polymerization meanwhile the bottom layer was made up of a zwitterionic polyelectrolyte brush - (poly(3-(N-2-methacryloxyethyl-N,N-dimethyl) ammonatopropanesultone), abbreviated as PMAPS layer. The resultant double-skinned membrane exhibited a high water flux of 13.7 ± 0.3 L/m2.h and reverse salt transport of 1.6 ± 0.2 g/m2.h under FO mode using 2 M NaCl as the draw solution and emulsified oily solution as the feed. The double-skinned membrane outperforms the single-skinned membrane with much lower fouling propensity for emulsified oil-water separation.
    MeSH terms: Emulsions; Nylons; Oils; Osmosis; Sodium Chloride; Water; Porosity; Water Purification; Polymerization; Waste Water; Polyelectrolytes
  18. Western JS, Dicksit DD
    J Conserv Dent, 2017 Jan-Feb;20(1):30-36.
    PMID: 28761250 DOI: 10.4103/0972-0707.209066
    BACKGROUND: All endodontic instrumentation systems tested so far, promote apical extrusion of debris, which is one of the main causes of postoperative pain, flare ups, and delayed healing.

    OBJECTIVES: Of this meta-analysis was to collect and analyze in vitro studies quantifying apically extruded debris while using Hand ProTaper (manual), ProTaper Universal (rotary), Wave One (reciprocating), and self-adjusting file (SAF; vibratory) endodontic instrumentation systems and to determine methods which produced lesser extrusion of debris apically.

    METHODOLOGY: An extensive electronic database search was done in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, LILACS, and Google Scholar from inception until February 2016 using the key terms "Apical Debris Extrusion, extruded material, and manual/rotary/reciprocating/SAF systems." A systematic search strategy was followed to extract 12 potential articles from a total of 1352 articles. The overall effect size was calculated from the raw mean difference of weight of apically extruded debris.

    RESULTS: Statistically significant difference was seen in the following comparisons: SAF < Wave One, SAF < Rotary ProTaper.

    CONCLUSIONS: Apical extrusion of debris was invariably present in all the instrumentation systems analyzed. SAF system seemed to be periapical tissue friendly as it caused reduced apical extrusion compared to Rotary ProTaper and Wave One.
    MeSH terms: Pain, Postoperative; Periapical Tissue; Root Canal Preparation; Tooth Apex; PubMed
  19. Abu F, Mat Taib CN, Mohd Moklas MA, Mohd Akhir S
    PMID: 28761496 DOI: 10.1155/2017/2907219
    Antioxidant properties of crude extract, partition extract, and fermented medium from Dendrobium sabin (DS) flower were investigated. The oven-dried DS flower was extracted using 100% methanol (w/v), 100% ethanol (w/v), and 100% water (w/v). The 100% methanolic crude extract showed the highest total phenolic content (40.33 ± mg GAE/g extract) and the best antioxidant properties as shown by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. A correlation relationship between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content showed that phenolic compounds were the dominant antioxidant components in this flower extract. The microbial fermentation on DS flower medium showed a potential in increasing the phenolic content and DPPH scavenging activity. The TPC of final fermented medium showed approximately 18% increment, while the DPPH of fermented medium increased significantly to approximately 80% at the end of the fermentation. Dendrobium sabin (DS) flower showed very good potential properties of antioxidant in crude extract and partition extract as well as better antioxidant activity in the flower fermented medium.
    MeSH terms: Ethanol; Methanol; Antioxidants; Fermentation; Phenols; Sulfonic Acids; Water; Dendrobium; Flowers; Complex Mixtures; Benzothiazoles
  20. Nandrajog P, Idris Z, Azlen WN, Liyana A, Abdullah JM
    Asian J Neurosurg, 2017 Jul-Sep;12(3):447-453.
    PMID: 28761523 DOI: 10.4103/1793-5482.180921
    BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to compare the amplitude and latency of the P300 event-related potential (ERP) component between a control group and patients after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) during 1-7 days (short duration) and 2-3 months (long duration), and to compare the outcome of neuropsychological tests between the long duration postinjury and control study groups.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied responses to auditory stimulation in two main and one subgroups, namely the control healthy group (19 patients, both ERP and neuropsychology test done), the mTBI 1 group (17 patients, only ERP done within 7 days after injury), and the mTBI 2 subgroup (the 17 mTBI 1 patients in whom a repeated ERP together with neuropsychological testing was done at 2-3 months postinjury). Auditory evoked responses were studied with two different stimuli (standard and target stimuli), where the P300 amplitude and latency were recorded from three midline sites and results were compared between the groups, as were the neuropsychological test results.

    RESULTS: There was a significant prolongation of the target P300 latency values shown by the MBI 1 group measured at the central electrode when compared to the control group, which was also seen when the mTBI 1 and mTBI 2 groups were compared. The results of the P300 amplitude values measured at the frontal electrode showed the control group to have higher readings during the presentation of standard tones when compared to the mTBI 1 group. The mTBI 2 group performed better on some neuropsychological tests.

    CONCLUSION: The latency of P300 was significantly prolonged in early mTBI patients who improved over time, and the neuropsychological testing on mTBI 2 patients showed them to be comparable to the control group. The study indicates that ERP should be used as an additional modality of investigation in mTBI patients.
    MeSH terms: Acoustic Stimulation; Brain Concussion; Electrodes; Evoked Potentials, Auditory; Humans; Neuropsychological Tests; Neuropsychology; Time Factors; Event-Related Potentials, P300; Control Groups
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